District suspends disclosure requirements for airport noise | News

Following legislation passed by the General Assembly this year, the Board of Supervisors voted last week to repeal a requirement in the county’s zoning ordinance that requires owners of homes near Dulles International Airport to be notified of the airport’s proximity when selling.

The district has established an Airport Impact Overlay District to address the noise concerns of airport residents. Residential development is prohibited in the most noise-impacted zone, known as the 65 Ldn. Residential properties in the less impactful 60 Ldn zone and within one mile beyond it must include a notice with each sale advising of the possibility of airport-related noise.

Bills have passed in both the House and Senate that would prohibit municipalities from imposing mandatory disclosures on real estate agents. Regulators and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority opposed the bill, citing concerns about a lack of transparency and overreach by state government.

The county’s deputy commissioner for public affairs and communications, Mary Frances Forcier, said Loudoun now in an email that the bills do not affect the county’s ability to impose requirements on developers for the first sale of a property, but only for subsequent sales.

“Loudoun will continue to enforce disclosure requirements for developers selling new homes under the AIOD,” she said.

The regulator’s vote on June 18 repeals a clause in the regulation that states that the disclosure requirement also applies to “subsequent owners.” The first purchase of a home from a developer must include the disclosure. For all subsequent sales, noise disclosure is no longer required.